Self-venting valve



April 5, 1938.

J. P. FREEMON V SELF VENTING VALVE Filed Noi 19, 1936 Patented Apr. 5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SELF-VENTING VALVE John P. Freemon, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Alphonse A. Burnand, Jr., Los Angeles, Calif.

Application November 19, 1936, Serial No. 111,691

7 Claims.

This invention is a self-venting valve, cook or faucet for admitting air to an otherwise closed liquid container, and which is readily attachable to and detachable from the given container. For example, there is a very extensive use of water dispensing bottles which are mounted in an inverted position upon a suitable stand, and it is customary for the deliveryman to remove the stopple from the mouth of the container or bottle and then apply his bare hand over the outlet and invert the bottle as it is mounted on the stand. This is very objectionable, and an object of the invention is to provide a more sanitary procedure in this respect, and to provide for the prevention of fouling of the container and its liquid contents by a valve means which not only seals the outlet of the bottle or other container, but also provides a protected, air in-venting device to facilitate liquid discharge, and to eliminate other air inletting provision of or for the container.

A further object is to provide for the ready attachment and detachment of the valve to the given container, and to provide an attaching means which will compensate itself for minor variations in the size of the outlets of containers for which it is adaptable.

Another object is to provide a self-venting valve device of simple, substantial, practical and lowcost structure, and which may be quickly installed on a given container without the use of tools, and incorporates a fastening means of obvious applicative manipulation.

The invention consists in certain advancements in this art as set forth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with'the above, additional objects and advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose construction, combination and details of means, and the manner of operation will be made manifest in the description of the herewith illustrated 40 embodiment; it being understood that modifications, variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope, principle and spirit of the invention as it is more directly claimed hereinbelow.

45 Figure 1 is a side elevation of the valve as applied to a conventional water bottle on its stand.

Figure 2 is an axial section of the valve, in open position of its closure.

form of the valve body.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail of a modified form of valve closure device.

Figure 5 is a plan of a form of valve attaching means.

Figure 3 is a sectional, elevation of a modified Figure 6 is a sectional plan of a steady support attachment for the valve.

While it has numerous other utilities, the valve is shown as attached to an inverted water bottle B, on a stand S, having a contracted outlet mouth M which commonly has an annular bead A.

The valve includes an elongated, tubiform body 2 the inner or rear end of which is provided with a discal seat or flange '3 to one side of the body and parallel to its axis for the support of a suitable gasket 4 which surrounds a short, upstanding nipple 5. In this form of the valve it is attached to the bottle mouth M by an appropriate clamp.

The clamp here shown has a pair of parallel presser fingers .6 connected to a stifi', spring bow 1 which is normal to the fingers and is attached at its upper end to a generally U-shaped spring 8, parallel to the plane of the fingers 6, and whose spaced side gripping members 8 are adapted to firmly grip about the bottle outlet mouth M; the gripping members being sufficiently yieldable to be pushed transversely into place just above the mouth bead A; this forming a downward stop for the applied clamp.

The fingers 6 of the clamp pass under and engage the flange 3 of the valve and the reaction of the bow spring Bpresses the gasket 4 up firmlyon the-edge of the bottle mouth M to seal the mouth.

The bottom of the flange 3 preferably'has dia- 30 metrically opposite seats 3%, Fig. 1, to centrally position the applied end of the fingers 6 and facilitate assembly of the valve and the clamp on the bottle'mouth; itbeing understood that the clamping device may be of other form of structure. It will be seen thatthe spring form of the clamp compensates for minor size variations in the bottle mouth.

It is desirable to provide for venting the bottle through the same valve by which its contents are drawn and for that purpose the valve has, besides its water duct II], a small, isolated air duct l l leading from the inner end of the valve body 2 outwardly to the Valve closure, which, in Figs. '1

- and 2 is in the form of a tapered plug 12 turnably fitting in'the bowl I3 of the body and being held to its seat by theusual clamp nut 14 screwing on the lower end of the plug.

The plug has a turning function in'the bowl I3 limited'by a pin l5 engageable'with stop shoulders [6, in the usual manner of stop cocks of this type, and is provided with a transverse passage l2 registerable with the through air duct H in thezopenlposition o-f-the plug for flowof liquid through its passage 12 from the water duct I0. 55

When the plug I2 is turned to open position the water, under its own head in the bottle will gravitate out through the valve duct [0 and air will be inducted through the open air duct to control the vacuum in the bottle and secure an even and steady flow of water.

The valve is provided with means to form an air trap in the air flow duct. In Fig. 2, this trap means is in the form of a small tube I! having a downturned outlet end Il Air trapped in the top of the bend of the tube precludes the inflow of water to the duct I I. In Fig. 3 an air trapping pocket I8 is shown as formed in the body of the valve, and this latter may be attached to a supply or dispensing container as by threads l9 or by a tapered body portion 20, as may be appropriate. If it is desired the air trapping feature may be omitted from the valve in any of its forms.

It is desirable to prevent any liquid which might accumulate in the air duct II, for instance, from bubbling over and down on the outside of the valve in an objectionable manner and for this purpose the air inlet Il Fig. 3, while disposed high above the drip end of the spout of the valve, opens into a well H formed in the spout H The bottom of the well opens into the water duct in the spout so that as water is flowing down the water duct any water accumulating in the well from the small air inlet duct l ll l will automatically be siphoned into the discharging stream, thus facilitating draining of the well.

The valve body 2, Fig. 1, is provided with a nipple 2| at the outer end of the intake, air duct H and to this may be attached any desired apparatus as at A through which the air or other gas flowing into the valve, when opened, may be caused to pass, to be filtered or otherwise treated according to the nature of the liquid being discharged from the container.

This self-venting valve eliminates the usual provision of a top opening in various containers to supply air as the liquid is drawn; such openings being particularly objectionable in case the containers hold wine; this tending to quickly sour when exposed to the atmosphere. The present valve seals in the spiritous fumes and allows only enough air to enter to control the vacuum set up as the liquid level falls. The valve is especially useful to prevent loss of highly volatile liquids which vaporize and pass off through the usually open, air in-venting means of their containers.

A form of the valve is shown in Fig. 4 as including a push button 25 connected to a valve head 26 working in the water duct l ll and closing on a seat 21 under outward thrust of its spring 28. This form of the self-venting valve provides for the opening of the water (or other liquid) discharge duct Ill being opened before the air duct I N is opened so that the head of water will in-.

itiate outflow of water before the air inlet is opened. For this purpose the push button first unseats its valve head 26 and then engages the near end of the stem 30 of an air inlet valve 3| which is moved to its seat 32 in the air duct by a spring 33; the air duct opening out to the top of the valve body 2 The invention thus provides for either the concurrent opening of the air and Water ducts, Figs. 1 and 2, or for the sequential or later opening of the air duct, following the opening of the water discharge duct, Fig. 4.

If desired the valve may have a steadyclamp attachable to the near leg L of the water bottle stand S. Such a clamp, Fig. 6 has hinged leaves 35 to straddle the leg L and are slotted endwise at 36 to straddle the interposed body of the valve; a simple bolt 31 acting to clamp the device in position at the desired elevation on the leg of the stand.

It will be noticed that the opening of the inner or discharge end of the air ducts II and ll is so arranged that the arising bubbles are out of the path of liquid flowing into the liquid discharging duct so that none of the incoming air will be entrained in the discharging water.

What is claimed is:

1. A self-venting liquid discharge valve including an elongate body having isolated air and liquid flow ducts extending lengthwise thereof, means for controlling flow through the ducts to let air flow gradually into an otherwise closed container of the liquid and obtain a continuous and even outflow of the liquid and provided with an overflow Well at the air intake duct and which drains into the discharge liquid stream.

2. A self-venting, liquid discharge valve for otherwiseclosed containers, having isolated air and liquid flow ducts and provided with a well at the inlet end of the air duct to receive possible outflowing water; said well opening at its lower part to the discharge spout of the valve so that outflowing liquid will siphon out the well.

3. The combination, in a liquid dispensing apparatus, of a container having an outlet neck, a valve structure, and a clamping means for removably attaching the valve structure to the neck; said structure having a support and a gasket thereon to seal against the neck rim, and said clamping means including a yoke device for removably embracing the neck and having a yieldable clamp for detachably engaging the said support and normally pressing the packing to the neck rim.

4. A fitting for a liquid dispensing container having an outlet neck, said fitting comprising, in combination, a valve structure, and a clamping means for removably attaching the valve structure to the said neck; said structure having an annular flange for a gasket, and said clamping means including a resilient yoke to frictionally grip the said neck and having a relatively yieldable part to yieldably and slidably engage the said flange and hold the valve structure against the neck rim.

5. A fitting for facile attachment to and detachment from a liquid dispensing container hav-' ing an outlet neck, said fitting comprising, in combination, a valve' structure, and a clamping means separably carried by said structure and made in the form of a separate unit; said structure having a discal flange for a packing ring for the outlet, and said clamping means including a neck embracing part and a flange engaging part which are. relatively yieldably connected whereby to automatically press the valve structure to its seat against the neck rim.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5, and in which the neck embracing part includes spring jaw yoke and the flange engaging part is joined thereto by a spring connector.

7. ,The combination as set forth in claim 5, and in which the flange engaging part includes a set of fingers releasably pressing against the outer face of the said flange to hold the valve structure to the outlet rim.

JOHN P. FREEMON. 

